The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-11-13
BOOKS OUR STATESMEN READ
A GREAT LIKING ron FRENCH NOVELS
IN WARRINGTON HOUSES.

Cleveland and Mrs. villas Lske-ttue
LibrarIes-The Standards or Good Taste.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 12-As entered one Of
the leading bookstores not long ago I passed
Mrs. Cleveland coming out. She had been
making largo purchase for her library. and
che has bought editions Of O number OF poets
lately. She buys good bindings, but not the
most costly ones, and although she never at
tempts to cheaper the price Of any book,
her selection IL so good that she invariably
gets the worth OF her money. Mrs. Cleveland
buys standard works. novels Of the better
class. and her favorite poets are not the
trashy ones by any means. The day she re-
turned from the Constitutional celebration at
Philadelphia she ordered long list Of books,
and she has read great deal this summer
She evidently buys for herself and not for the
President, and the President has not boon In
book store since he came to Washington. Col.
Lamont sends out for o book now and then,
but the White House library In which tho Pres
ident has his Office Is pretty well supplied with
statistical documents, and Cleveland is too
much occupied IN reading up on Government
matters to have time for outside literature. He
is, understand, rather newspaper than
book reader. and 1t now takes all his spare
time to look over tho leading newspapers.
The Washington book trade is peculiar to It
been a large increase In the demand for
French. italian, and Spanish books during the
past few years. The members OF the various
legations do their reading in French. and there
is not noted dwelling in Washington which
has not one or moro readers Of French novels.
The Washington society woman is supposed
to speak French. and many OF tho bellies here
think that tho laying down Of French novel
upon the entrance Of q caller Is q sign OF cul-
ture. / know number OF statesmen
who devote their leisure to French Hc-
ton, Robert Lincoln gets a fresh load
Of French books every time he comes to
Washington. He likes the better class OF
French stories. and docs not affect the tales OF
BE 1 nc hes @ Hit Buys
great many FRENCH and gsrmen books and
French, but he reads little outside, Of history
and political economy: He = we'll up on a, the n
his his party st since i The days q Jefferson ' ~
she s snd has sse 0 resn
Mrs. Fairehild is highly cultivated. and since
se1 ss BOOK &snS her dane
chases have been works OF political economy
sns5.ns Sns s5 se Se Su5 Ssy % s
Wolf, who was. 1t will DO remembered, Consul-
II syDt. SPder is n q
certainly spends At least 5000 upon his
him every beautiful new thing that comes out.
which were in q different line from those which
hS had ss sseo or S Fl hss ss I
and the other was an edition de l,ile Of Thack-
sray's letters which have been lstsly published
Wolf is a fine scholar, and no reads several Ian
has ons Of the best Libraries IL Wsshinst9n. 40
sentative HIT q G' Illinois. and another . man
who is fond Of fine editions Is Col John Hay,
Fe4SR and book
ss!nts M sss
saS s no boofs no
John Hays library Is perhaps the moot beau
81 bis msnslon ast Is Ge
I'D H sse nd shse
soft iisht Of the ohsndeiiers. The books are IN
low cases around the walls, and Hays desk.
Tsh Ct aRa
trated edition Of the Omar K saysm" fH lay upon
the shelves were filled with costly bindings.
Col. Hay wants the best editions he can get,
beof Dealer for 9 81 a
Experiment. and he has not $500 worth Of these
hundred. He tells me that no has Just ordered
500 copies OF new French novel which has q
o %htnsy IN good brar, and
is not true that he ,devotes his whole time to
novel reading Ne likes 2 good story. but he
which he has lately parehased arc Motiey's
R R.o Of the united Netherlands" and his
and hPs fe 70 The ma9s
Of books pointed out to him. His dealer has
learned to, know his ,peculiarities in this
for Ge VIII GO into
the store. look at the books upon the coun-
and k them after a1ohsr and
something to Interest him, and ii it does he In
look at others. In short time he gets his arm
full and he then piles the books up at one side
and looks for more. When he has g half dozen
until this time. The result is that he seldom
fails fall to buy big order whenever he enters
Two Of the oldest booksellers Of Washington
are .3cRted near the Capitol. One Of these Is
kob. III TSo
% f? sbst B.a RHGss ws s
q great buyer but Q poor payer and that it was
Benton once came into the store and asked for
Latin grammar Tam H The most popua5 gram;
these was handed to Benton. He laughed
as he looked at 1t and said: why. they call me
Old Bullion, and suppose must have writ
ten this" Benton was called odd Bullion"
that there is great interest among the. states
men of the country Just now on tariff Gues-
Ions and he showed me the other day q letter
rs long as the moral law from Senator Col
luitt OF Georgia, asking for o list Of tariff
books. He says English authorities on flnan-
,ial questions are In great demand. and he
spoke OF Senator Hoar OF Massachusetts, as ono |
d the most profuse book buyers In Washington.
Senator Hoar Is however, not only q buyer,
but reader. He is one OF the most cultivated
non in the United States, and he has one OF
he finest libraries in Washington. He knows |
n about books, and was told at the Congress,
'ional library one day that he Is as well posted
IN different editions as is Spotford himself. |
)ne OF his hobbies Is American history. and he |
8 well up on biography. He takes the loading |
newspapers, and whom called upon him ono |
light last winter found him laughing over |
he cartoons In Puck. Bob Ingersoll Is great |
newspaper reader. He reads the French as |
we'll as the English papers, while Senator Sher- |
nan only glances over the newspapers, and |
ioes not believe in reading book until It is q |
.nII ttn. 1,.tk. a Ia.A